2015 Ford Edge: Bigger, Bolder, Tech-ier

Ford redesigns its popular crossover and packs it with technology.

Ford touts the Edge as one of its most important vehicles as well as one of its most consistent sellers, with the company boasting that it moved about as many Edge crossovers last year as it did in 2006, the year the Edge launched as a 2007 model. Now the Edge has been completely redesigned, with a high emphasis on technology and a keen eye on new export markets. The two-row crossover was previewed last year in concept form at the Los Angeles auto show, and we just got our first look at it in the metal at an event in Dearborn, Michigan.

As it jumps to Ford’s global CD4 platform—which we wish were called the CB4 platform—the new Edge remains wide but not overly long, riding on a wheelbase stretched by an inch and growing 3.9 inches in overall length to 188.1. Width is actually down by 0.1 inch to 75.9, while height is increased by 1.6 to 68.6. Overall interior volume is up by a considerable 5.5 cubic feet, and cargo space behind the second-row seats is up by a full seven cubes. Thanks to the use of more high-strength steel, bending stiffness is up by 26 percent and torsional rigidity rises by 16 percent.

The Edge has always been good looking, but the design has come into its own for 2015. The headlamps have been pinched into a squint and the grille no longer encompasses the entirety of the front end, having been separated into a pair of clean-looking hexagonal sections. It’s a handsome mug, with the only misstep possibly being the polygonal LED running lamps.

The body sides are elegant and feature a crease running through the door handles, as well as more intricately shaped rocker panels. Out back, the taillamps are lit completely by LEDs; higher trims get a band of red LED lights that span the tailgate and are vaguely reminiscent of the Dodge Durango’s “racetrack” taillamps. Sport models feature darkened headlamp bezels, a paucity of chrome, and 21-inch black-painted wheels.

Return of the Buttons

The Edge will be offered in four trim levels: SE, SEL, Sport, and a new Titanium trim, which replaces the current top dog, the Limited. Ford is mum on the content details, but you can expect each trim to contain a fair amount technology, since customers cited tech as a chief reason they bought an Edge in the first place, according to Ford. Regardless of trim, all passengers will have more space in which to spread out: legroom in the first and second rows has increased by 1.9 inches and 1.0 inch, while headroom increases by 1.0 inch in the back. There’s more shoulder room all around, as well.

The new Edge’s interior breaks little ground in terms of design and aesthetics, but materials have taken a big step up in quality, and ergonomic refinements are considerable. Chief among those is the latest version of the MyFord Touch infotainment system, which has abandoned the fussy capacitive touch controls that made previous versions so frustrating. Yes, like Lincoln, Ford is re-adopting “positive feedback” controls—a.k.a. buttons. Relatively unchanged is the Sync system interface on the eight-inch center-stack screen and inside the instrument cluster; Ford promises that the next-generation, non-Microsoft Sync interface is on the way but that it won’t be ready by the time that the Edge hits the market. The good news (or bad news, depending on how well it works) is that the redesigned interface can be loaded into the Edge at any point once the new software is ready.

Among the many technology features offered on the new Edge are active grille shutters, adaptive cruise control, and Ford’s new fully assisted parking aid technology that drives itself into perpendicular or parallel spaces, and also helps you maneuver out of tight parking spaces, should you need the help. Other techno-treats include Ford’s ingenious adaptive steering, automatic stop-start, cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and a 180-degree front camera with a dedicated washer, you know, because winter.

The big news on the safety front is the standard fitment of Ford’s new “active glove-box knee bag” that will debut on the 2015 Mustang; a bladder between the inner and outer glove-box door panels inflates during a crash to cushion the passenger’s lower body. Ford’s clever inflatable rear seat belts will also be made available on the Edge for the first time.

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*AccuPayment estimates payments under various scenarios for budgeting and informational purposes only. AccuPayment does not state credit or lease terms that are available from a creditor or lessor, and AccuPayment is not an offer or promotion of a credit or lease transaction.